Sullivan County farm agency could survive

Friday

Oct 26, 2007 at 2:00 AM

Ferndale – The fight to keep open the Farm Service Agency branch in Sullivan County cleared a major hurdle yesterday when lawmakers in Washington approved new provisions in the 2007 Farm Bill.As part of a national downsizing, the FSA had planned to close eight of its offices in New York, later backed off on five, but still planned to close the Ferndale office, as well as sites in Yates and Albany counties.That changed yesterday, as Sen. Chuck Schumer said the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry unanimously passed an amendment to the Farm Bill.The move could keep the Sullivan office and the other two agencies open until at least 2012, when the farm bill expires.The FSA administers crop reporting, insurance and income-loss programs. If the Ferndale office were closed, Sullivan County farmers would have to drive to Middletown for these services. With few employees and heavy workloads, farmers said the trip to Orange County would overburden them.“Now farmers across Sullivan County will continue to have the resources they need right in their own backyard,” said Schumer. “Keeping this office open will help us avoid saddling our farmers with an additional burden when they’re already battling hostile weather, spiking feed and energy costs.”The bill moves to the Senate floor next week for debate and is expected to be voted on Nov. 5.

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